Sportsmen with Conscience Condemn Chinese Persecution Of Uighurs While The Muslim World Remains Silent Spectators
New
Age Islam Special Correspondent
12 December
2020
Even as the
Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan remain silent
spectators while the Chinese government continues persecution of Uighur
Muslims, some sportsmen with a conscience both Muslim and Christian, have been
raising their voices against China's persecution of Uighur and other minority
Muslim communities.
Recently,
France and Barcelona world cup winning footballer Antoine Griezman ended his
ties with the Chinese company Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd condemning China's
treatment of Uighur Muslims. Griezman had been with Huawei since 2017.
Antoine Griezmann
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It is
learnt that Huawei has developed a technology that will help the Chinese
government to single out Uighurs even in a crowd. This will help in picking up
a Uighur and putting him in detention centre. This technology for heightened
surveillance of Uighurs perturbed Griezman.
China has
been keeping about a million Uighur Muslims in detention centres where they are
tortured and sterilised. They are forced to abandon their religious beliefs.
The women are sterilised and their children are taken away from them for
"re-education".
Griezman is
not the only sportsman to raise his voice against the persecution of Uighurs.
In December last year, Arsenal midfielder of Turkic origin Muslim Mesut Ozil
had criticised the Chinese government for its treatment of Uighurs and had
called the Uighurs "warriors who resist persecution". Arsenal had
quickly distanced itself from Ozil's statement. Ozil was removed from a
pro-Evolution Soccer 2020 computer game held in China.
Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba
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In August
this year a Chelsea striker Demba Ba called on all footballers to stand up
against China's persecution of Uighur Muslims regardless of financial
consequences. Demba Ba also criticised the Muslim world for not doing anything
for the Uighurs.
Demba Ba is
a Muslim from Senegal and is very vocal for the cause of Uighurs. He said that
Arsenal distanced itself from the statement of Mesut Ozil but was vocal for
Black Lives Matter. They are not worried about Uighur lives.
Most
importantly, as an eye opener for Muslims, a French politician Raphael
Glucksman launched a social media campaign in support of Uighurs in October
this year. He urged people to post a sky blue square (in Uighur colours) on
their social media platforms on October 1 which was China's National Day.
A number of
high profile sportsmen like Frank Ribery, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ousmane Dembele,
Moussa Marega, Riyad Mahrez and Rudy Gobert joined the campaign.
Left to Right: Franck Ribery, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ousmane Dembele, Moussa
Marega, Riyad Mahrez and Rudy Gobert
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This
campaign was run at a time when the Muslims of the world were made to believe
that the French people were the enemies of Islam and Muslims.
Generally
sportsmen do not get involved in political issues but the activism of the
European footballers on the issue of Uighurs has won accolades and appreciation
from lovers of humanity. This should stir the conscience of both Muslim
countries and Islamic organisations that claim to be the flag bearers of the
interests of Muslims but have been silent on the inhuman treatment of Uighurs
by the Chinese regime.
Saudi
Arabia even defended China by saying it had the right to fight extremism
suggesting that the entire Uighur community was terrorists. Pakistan's Prime
Minister Imran Khan had even said to a TV channel of Turkey that he was not
aware of the Uighur issue in the first place.
Malaysia's
so-called firebrand leader Mahathir Mohamad though says that Muslims had the
right to kill millions of French people is not the least worried about the
hapless Uighurs.
In short
the entire Muslim world has been silent on the plight of Uighur Muslims of
China. Demba Ba rightly says that when the financial and economic interests are
at stake people become silent. Will the Muslim countries listen to Demba Ba who
asks people to stand up for the Uighurs regardless of financial consequences?
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